Is he really a jerk?

“Mom, you suck.”

He’s so disrespectful.
He doesn’t appreciate anything I do for him.
What a jerk.

It’s hard to admit that you don’t enjoy being around your own kid anymore.

Especially when you remember how much you used to love spending time together.

He said something disrespectful. That’s a fact.

But does that mean he’s an entitled, ungrateful jerk?

Maybe you've had plenty of reasons to think so.

Think about what happens when you start seeing him that way.

He walks into the kitchen the next morning.

He hasn't said anything nasty. He's just getting breakfast.

You're still thinking about yesterday.

I can't believe he talked to me like that.
I would have NEVER spoken to my parents that way.

And instead of being glad to see him, you're still annoyed with him.

Not because of anything he's doing right now.

Because you're looking at him through everything that's happened before.

You don't have to pretend the nasty comments don't hurt.
And you certainly don't have to accept being treated disrespectfully.

But what if those moments aren't telling you everything about who your kid is?

You don't have to wait for all that behavior to disappear before you can begin enjoying him again.

If you've been feeling awful because you don't even look forward to being around your teenager anymore, I'd love to help you figure out how to change that.

On a Parenting Breakthrough Call, we'll look at what's been happening between you, which interactions keep leaving you hurt or angry, and what you can begin doing differently.

So the next time he walks into the kitchen, you might actually be glad he's there instead of wishing he'd go back to his room.

🧡 Jeanine